Letters To The Editor

May 24, 1989

HARDER ON DRUGS

A lot of my friends do drugs or alcohol. It's not just my friends; teen-agers all over the world are using them. Teen-agers sell drugs in school, on the streets and in their homes. Drugs are beginning to rule the world. Pretty soon little kids will be using drugs, too. Many teen-agers are dying because of drugs and drug dealers.

I think that there should be drug and alcohol education in our schools, starting in elementary school. I think this will help the younger children to learn that drugs are dangerous and can kill you. I also think that there should be undercover cops in high schools to stop the drug dealers. This will help eliminate some of the ways teen-agers get drugs and alcohol, and save the lives of some teen-agers.

Kathy Thomas

Hampton

STEM THE FLOW

I'm writing in response to the recent flow of anti-gun attention. It upsets me to see how the media have used their influence to push anti-gun messages. I thought the media were supposed to be unbiased. So what's their excuse?

I can honestly say hunters and sportsmen are getting a raw deal. As a hunter, it infuriates me that I'm being labeled a killer or hardened criminal. I hunt for meat on the table and know a lot of people that if they didn't hunt would starve to death.

If the judicial system would get tougher on criminals and keep them in jail where they belong, instead of slapping them on the wrist and letting them go, I bet we wouldn't have the crime or maniacs shooting at people like we do today. An example was the fellow who shot at the school in California. He had quite a record. Had he been in jail where he belonged, I doubt that would have happened.

So why don't we quit taking the easy way out and quit blaming the guns? It's not us law-abiding citizens doing these crimes, so let's put away the real problem. That's it, the criminal and not our guns.

Cathy Barker

Newport News

END THE WAR

It is vital for the American people and the U.S. Congress to work for a peaceful resolution of the war in El Salvador, based upon justice and self-determination. This can be accomplished by cutting off all military aid and calling for the initiation of negotiations among all factions in El Salvador.

The president of El Salvador, Jose Napoleon Durate, expressed it most clearly:

"Fifty years of lies, 50 years of injustice, 50 years of frustration. This is a history of people starving to death, living in misery. For 50 years the same people had all the power, all the money, all the jobs, all the education, all the opportunities. Those who did not have anything tried to take it away from those who had everything. But there were no democratic systems available to them, so they have radicalized themselves, have resorted to violence. And of course, this second group, the rich, do not want to give up anything, so they are fighting."

It is noted that over 60 percent of the best farmland is concentrated in the hands of 2 percent of the population.

Ironically, the much-heralded bipartisan Kissinger plan recognized that poverty and injustice, not the Soviets, Cubans or Nicaraguans, were the underlying causes of the war.

Bipartisan studies have shown that three out of every four dollars of U.S. aid have been devoted to the war instead of to its root causes. Living conditions for the vast majority of Salvadorans have declined almost 40 percent since the war began. Three out of four families cannot feed themselves. The desperation that created the war has only grown despite a U.S. investment of over $3.5 billion tax dollars.

You are urged to sign petitions and also write your representatives and senators. Ask them to stop military assistance to El Salvador and help end this tragic war.

Paul F. Hamilton

Hampton

UGLY FUTURE

I have begun to notice how violence has worsened in the past couple of years. It has gotten to the point where it seems to be out of hand.

People's anger and madness have taken over. Fights break out in schools, at malls and in parking lots. It seems to be caused by people between the ages of 16 and 23.

I feel that we need to realize that we are the ones who are bringing in the next generation. Do we want our kids to be born into this kind of life? Do we want our children to fear everything?

I do not believe in violence. There are ways to get through arguments without knives, guns and other weapons.

We, the teens today, need to grow up and help stop the fighting. We also need to set the right kind of examples.

Our children's lives are going to be in great danger if we don't get over the violence. Can we not control our anger anymore?

Heather Dick

Hampton

GRADS OVERLOOKED

It was exciting, of course, to have so noted an actress as Glenn Close speak at the William and Mary graduation ceremony. Naturally, every form of the news media was present to interview her.

Unfortunately, even our local news media failed to mention those students who had been selected for special awards. It seems sad that after four years of dedicated study the very students for whom the ceremony took place were not recognized.

I feel certain Miss Close, who knows the thrill of recognition, would not have wanted this to happen.

I would like to mention and congratulate Michele Sokoly of Wyckoff, N.J., who was awarded the Botetourt Medal.

Anne M. Elchinger

Williamsburg

The Daily Press welcomes a wide variety of views on issues of public interest. Letters must be signed by hand and, in order to verify authorship, include the writer's address and telephone number. Because of space limitations, all letters are subject to editing. Send letters to: Letters to the Editor, 7505 Warwick Blvd., Newport News, Va. 23607.